RCN-UBE: Cell Biology Education Consortium

改变自然科学的教学方式和扩大本科生研究经验的必要性已经在文献中得到了充分的证明。实现这些变化的一种机制是结合以课程为基础的本科生研究经验。虽然一些孤立的团体正在将细胞培养技术引入到这些经验中，但没有协调一致的努力来汇编资源并提供培训，使创建可定制的基于细胞培养的研究项目更容易在教师时间和资源有限的小型，主要是本科院校和社区学院中实施。细胞生物学教育联盟（CBEC）将通过创建一个由教师、学生和资源组成的网络来解决这些主要不足，该网络将提供一个基础设施，以促进独特的学生驱动的研究经验的开发和实施。通过创建与课程的学习目标和期望的学生成果相一致的项目，这些活动将有助于加强课堂内外的批判性思维技能。CBEC的主要活动将是开发“单元模块”，包括书面和视频协议以及课堂实施策略和评估。小型机构的教师和学生将开发“细胞块”，使其能够适应类似的学校。因为细胞块将有相似的基本组成部分，它们将能够混合和匹配，以回答新的问题。多个单元块的实施将作为学期研究项目的基础，为独立的学生研究项目提供基础。网络教师将有机会通过创建新的Cell Block，访问所有Cell Block模块和相关用品，以及网络机会获得专业发展。学生们将能够在一个科学家社区内进行互动，以扩展他们的经验，创建他们自己的独立研究项目，通过代金券系统建立资助记录，并参与专业发展经验。这些活动有可能增加进入STEM研究领域的研究生和劳动力的学生数量。此外，由于将努力从少数族裔服务机构招聘教师，拟议的网络将对STEM中代表性不足的本科生产生显著影响。该项目由生物基础设施司生物科学理事会和本科教育司教育和人力资源理事会共同资助，作为其应对《本科生物学教育的愿景与变革：行动呼吁》（http://visionandchange/finalreport/）所提出的挑战的努力的一部分。共同资金由促进竞争性研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）提供。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The need for changing how the natural sciences are taught and the expansion of undergraduate research experiences has been well-documented in the literature. One mechanism to accomplish these changes is the incorporation of course-based undergraduate research experiences. While isolated groups are introducing cell culture techniques into such experiences, there has been no coordinated effort to compile resources and provide training that makes creating customizable cell-culture-based research projects easier to implement at smaller, primarily undergraduate institutions and community colleges where faculty time and resources are limited. The Cell Biology Education Coalition (CBEC) will address these major shortfalls through the creation of a network of faculty, students, and resources that will provide an infrastructure to facilitate the development and implementation of unique student-driven research experiences. By creating projects that align with a curriculum's learning goals and desired student outcomes, these activities will help strengthen critical thinking skills in and beyond the classroom.The primary activity of CBEC will be the development of "Cell Blocks," modules consisting of written and video protocols and classroom implementation strategies and assessments. Cell Blocks will be developed by faculty and their students at small institutions making it likely that they will be adaptable at similar schools. Because the Cell Blocks will have similar basic components, they will be able to be mixed and matched to answer novel questions. The implementation of multiple Cell Blocks will serve as the basis for semester-long research projects that provide the foundation for independent student research projects. Network faculty will have opportunities for professional development through the creation of new Cell Blocks, access to all Cell Block modules and associated supplies, and networking opportunities. Students will be able to interact within a community of scientists to expand on their experiences and create their own independent research projects, establish a funding record through a voucher system, and participate in professional development experiences. Such activities have the potential to increase the number of students entering STEM research fields at the graduate level and in the workforce. Additionally, because efforts will be made to recruit faculty from minority-serving institutions, the proposed network will have a pronounced effect on undergraduates underrepresented in STEM. This project is being jointly funded by the Directorate for Biological Sciences, Division of Biological Infrastructure, and the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, Division of Undergraduate Education as part of their efforts to address the challenges posed in Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action (http://visionandchange/finalreport/). Co-funding was provided by the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.